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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25948639">The Bodyguard</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maria_Magdalena/pseuds/Maria_Magdalena'>Maria_Magdalena</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>McMafia (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort Sex, Discovery, F/M, Flash Fic, Late Night Conversations, Nightmares, Oral Sex, Secret Identity, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vaginal Sex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:20:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,682</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25948639</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maria_Magdalena/pseuds/Maria_Magdalena</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Selena Godman worries about her husband Alex, who is always out of the country and worse yet, out of reach. She lives in a fortress in Topanga Canyon, away from family and everyone she knows. As her delivery date approaches, Alex becomes more remote and seemingly emotionally unavailable. One night, while, they are both in bed, Alex reveals his secrets in the middle of a nightmare.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex Godman/Original Female Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort Prompts</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Bodyguard</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">



        <li>In response to a prompt by
            Anonymous in the <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/angstandhcprompts">angstandhcprompts</a>
          collection.
        </li>
    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <strong>Prompt:</strong>
</p><p>Person A tends to have vivid dreams at night , so when Person B wakes up to hear sounds from the other side of the bed they initially dismiss the sounds and tries getting back to sleep...only for Person A to suddenly say something or move in such a way that Person B realizes that the dream must be some screwed up nightmare that their partner is having.</p><p>
  <strong>**Post Series 1 McMafia**</strong>
</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Selena sighed and stared at the ceiling, wide-awake. She hasn't had a full night's sleep in three weeks, ever since the baby started kicking and using her bladder as a football. Four to six times a night, she would have to get out of bed and make her way to the ensuite bathroom in order to relieve herself. </p><p>It was a good thing Alex was out of town for the first two weeks of it because she had been an unbearable, heinous bitch. Ingrid, their housekeeper, told her that a man did not enjoy coming home to a nagging fishwife and if she were to relax, she would give birth to a mellow, healthy baby. Though she felt like screaming in the Swedish woman's face, she refrained from doing so, since Alex seemed fond of the old bag.</p><p>She looked over her shoulder at him now, sleeping peacefully, his angelic face in repose. Joseph said he was the best at what he did. Cold, stoic, and always four or five steps ahead of his quarry. His rivals called him The Shark. Alex brokered international trade deals between companies all over the world. He also found investors for emerging markets and made billionaires out of millionaires. The media proclaimed him a Kingmaker. The U.S. Treasury Department hired him as a consultant from time to time. </p><p>He had been in South America for the last two weeks, trying to put out little fires: a union dispute in Bogota, a meeting with the governor of San Salvador regarding a program he helped set up to employ Salvadorians; some scheduling mishap in Peru because a company unexpectedly changed shipping entities which caused a delay in delivery for his European partners. </p><p>She often wondered why he got so involved with the ins-and-outs of these companies if he were just the broker. He often flies off to one part of the world or another at a moment's notice with his bodyguard Joseph at his side. He'd had to buy a private jet because he traveled so much.</p><p>Her only company these days were Ingrid, the housekeeper; Lyudmilla, Joseph's wife, and her mother, Alena. The two other women lived in a house Alex had built for them in the backyard. Since the backyard was half an acre, there was plenty of room. She and Lyudmilla have become good friends since bonding over their mutual pregnancy. Her new friend was pregnant with her second child and Joseph couldn't be more thrilled since she was going to have another boy.</p><p>Alex was not initially excited about the baby. They had only been seeing each other for three months when she got pregnant. It had been a casual thing. Alex was technically her boss's boss. One day, as she was preparing to leave the office building for the day, he asked if he could buy her a drink. She'd been shocked because she didn't think she'd be Alex Godman's type. He was often rumored to be dating some model or actress, plus she thought he liked blondes.</p><p>The two of them went for a drink, which led to dinner, then a walk around the historic theater district of downtown LA. At the time, Alex lived in a penthouse on Spring Street, which is where they ended their evening. She'd been nervous and self-conscious, but Alex was an attentive and considerate lover who banished all her fears and made her comfort his priority. </p><p>If he'd never asked her out again, she would have been happy with that one evening since she, along with every other woman in the office, had a crush on him. But the next day, he asked her out again, then a couple of days after that, until they were going out pretty regularly. It was kept secret from everyone in the office, of course. Alex was, above all, quite British in his sense of propriety and discretion.</p><p>He took her to five-star restaurants, premiere hotels, and exclusive hot spots around the city, where she often felt out of place because they were filled with wealthy, gorgeous people like him. But Alex never strayed from her side, no matter how many models and starlets flirted with him. Unless he was on the phone, of course. Alex was always on some kind of business call in a foreign language. He spoke Spanish, Portuguese, French, Russian, Mandarin, and Hebrew. He was currently learning Japanese, though how he found the time, she couldn't fathom because he was the busiest man she knew.</p><p>Right around the time their relationship was winding down, since she was seeing Alex less and less, she found out she was pregnant. She'd meant to keep it to herself, pack up, and move back to San Francisco, but she thought about it, and decided he deserved to know. He'd just gotten back from Tel Aviv, he said when he called her, and would like to see her that evening. He'd invited her to his flat, but she asked him to come over to her one-bedroom apartment in Silverlake, instead, so she would feel more in control of the situation.</p><p>As soon as he walked in, he surmised that something was wrong. Alex was very perceptive and clever. It was what made him an effective businessman. He could read people easily. "What's the matter, Selena?" </p><p>Selena was sitting on the sofa with her arms wrapped around her stomach, curled into herself. Alex had opened the door with his key because she didn't respond to his knocks. She'd been crying. "I'm sorry, Alex, I'm so sorry," she sobbed.</p><p>He'd rushed to her side, sat next to her, and cradled her in his arms. "Hey, it's all right. I'm here. Tell me what happened." He kissed the side of her head. "I know I've been gone a lot, Selena, but I had some issues to take care of in Saint Petersburg, London, and Tel Aviv. You know I have satellite offices there."</p><p>She buried her face in his shoulder and cried. He was going to hate her. "I understand all that, Alex..."</p><p>"And I know we haven't made any sort of commitment to each other," he continued. "But if you saw someone else while I was away and that's why you're upset..."</p><p>"No." She gave him a shove. "I wasn't dating anyone before we started seeing each other, Alex. I didn't magically become a dude-magnet while you were away."</p><p>"I'm sorry," he said with a soft chuckle, drawing her back into his arms and nuzzling her neck. "It's just that I find you very desirable, so I'm hard pressed to believe that there isn't a line of men waiting to ask you out."</p><p>She smacked his chest. "Well, there isn't."</p><p>He ran his hand through her hair and kissed her temple. "Then why are you crying, Selena?"</p><p>She pulled away from him and once again hugged her arms to herself, shielding her stomach. "I was two weeks late on my period, so I got a test kit. There are two tests in a kit." She took a peek at his face.</p><p>His expression was blank. Her boss called it his poker face. He said he'd never been able to tell how Alex Godman's mind worked because nothing showed on his face. She read an article on Forbes that compared him to Spock from <em>Star Trek</em>. He blinked. "Are you pregnant?"</p><p>His voice was measured, controlled. Bereft of emotion. Anxiety made Selena hold her breath. "I confirmed it with an OB-GYN this morning. I'm four weeks along." </p><p>Alex just stared at her for a long time and she couldn't tell what was going on in his mind. She was terrified he'd tell her to fuck off. Or that he'd write her a big check and run her out of town. What she didn't expect was, "I suppose we'll have to get married."</p><p>Their quickie wedding at the courthouse felt like a lifetime ago now.</p><p>Selena made it to the bathroom and eased herself on the toilet. As she emptied her bladder, she thought it was the best feeling in the world. And she'd probably have to do it again in a couple of hours.</p><p>She was only six and a half months along, but felt as big as a house. Lyudmilla seemed to be having a fine time, compared to her. She glowed with health, her blond hair was thick and full, and aside from her stomach, hadn't seemed to have gained any weight at all. </p><p>She, on the other hand, had gained thirty pounds, developed some kind of psoriasis on her lower back, and was experiencing a resurgence of teen acne. She lost so much hair to brushing in the morning that she often wondered why she didn't have bald spots. She knew because Alena checked for it daily. Alena also made her a tea tree oil paste for her acne and psoriasis, but Alex demanded that she stop using it because he didn't like the smell. </p><p>She was about to climb back into bed--and in her current condition, it <em>was</em> a climb--when she heard Alex groan. He usually slept like the dead and didn't really snore or make other noises while deep in slumber. Or maybe he did and because she was a heavy sleeper herself, she never noticed.</p><p>Still, it made her stop and go over to his side of the bed so she could take a peek at him. He made the sound again, a little louder this time like he was in physical pain. She put her hand on his bare chest and thought about shaking him awake, but he was so tired from his trip and needed the rest. She felt his forehead with her palm. He was a little warm, but didn't have a fever. In his sleep, he made a sound of protest.</p><p>She lifted her hand. She'd been with him for almost ten months and didn't think she'd ever witnessed him dream before. She wondered if he dreamed when he was away from her, sleeping in other beds, thousands of miles away.</p><p>She returned to her side of the bed and successfully climbed on. But before she could slide in between the covers, his head began to move from side to side on the pillow as he once again grunted and groaned.</p><p>
  <em>"No! Oh no God, what have I done?"</em>
</p><p>His hands thrust up and he shoved his fingers in his hair, though he remained asleep. His face was a portrait of torment and desperation.</p><p>"No… I didn't...I didn't..."</p><p>Selena knew she should wake him up, but for a moment, she could only gawk at him, appalled, with her hand over her mouth.</p><p>"I'm so sorry, Rebecca. Forgive me. Oh please, forgive me. I didn't know… God help me, I didn't know!"</p><p><em>Rebecca? </em>She'd never heard that name from him before. She didn't know much about his life before her. He kept no pictures of his family who lived in London, even though she knew they were still alive. She'd once walked in on him talking to someone on the phone who might have been his mother, but the conversation was in Russian and he pushed her out of his office and closed the door before she could hear anymore of it.</p><p>"Alex." She gingerly tapped his shoulder. "Wake up."</p><p>His handsome face was contorted with anguish and beads of sweat had sprung on his forehead. "I didn't know about the baby, I didn't know!"</p><p><em>What baby?</em> She couldn't stand to see him in pain any longer and didn't know how else to wake him. Though she didn't want to hurt him, she steeled herself and slapped him hard across the face.</p><p>Alex jackknifed from the mattress so violently that she was almost thrown off the bed. He caught her elbow in time to keep her from falling and pulled her back toward the middle. He was breathing hard, taking big gulps of air. "Did I hurt you?" he demanded.</p><p>"Nnn-no," she replied, her heart pounding in her chest. She passed him over the glass of water that she had on her nightstand.</p><p>He took it without a word and didn't stop drinking until the glass was empty. She watched his powerful throat muscles as he swallowed, momentarily entranced by the sight. When he handed the glass back to her, she blinked, released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and returned the glass to the nightstand.</p><p>"Are you all right, Selena?"</p><p>She didn't answer him. His shoulders and chest were drenched in sweat. She went into the bathroom, grabbed a towel, and silently handed it to him. He took it and wiped his face, chest, and shoulders before tossing it on the floor. </p><p>When she struggled to get back on the bed, he reached for her arm and pulled her up until she was next to him. Selena looked into his eyes and saw that they were burning with need.</p><p>"Take off your nightgown."</p><p>She hesitated because she had never been truly confident of her body to begin with and now that she had gained the extra weight due to the pregnancy, she was near phobic about taking off her clothes in front of him.</p><p>"Selena, do as I say."</p><p>She was shocked by the quiet dominance in his tone. Alex had always been kind and respectful of her, even though he seemed cold and distant at times. Ingrid told her that's just how Russian men are. </p><p>Unnerved by this change in him, she pulled her nightgown over her head and dropped it on the floor. Her first instinct was to cover her chest, but she resisted and allowed him to look his fill. She was his wife. It was childish that she still got shy around him.</p><p>He raked his gaze over her bare legs, the thatch of dark hair between her thighs, rounded belly, and full, pendulous breasts. His eyes flared with lust. He seized the back of her head by her hair and crushed her mouth under his.</p><p>He kissed her until they were both out of breath and when he lifted his head, she saw that the cool, calm, and collected Alex that she knew was gone for the moment and replaced with this man who was practically feverish with passion. </p><p>"Alex," she said uncertainly.</p><p>He seized her face in his hands. "I need to be inside you right now, Selena, do you understand me? Tell me you understand."</p><p>His words were guttural, his voice harsh like he'd gargled with sand. It was as though he was standing on the precipice of something and only the physicality of their love could bring him back from the edge. She had nothing else to say, but, "Yes, Alex, I understand."</p><p>He kissed her again, thrusting his tongue into her mouth as he put his hands on her shoulders and firmly pushed her down toward the mattress. He immediately got on top of her, pushing off his silk boxers down his legs, and looked at her with what seemed like reverence.</p><p>"You are so fucking magnificent, Selena," he whispered, lowering his head to kiss her breasts. "I don't tell you that enough."</p><p>Selena marveled at his masculine beauty, at this man she was allowing to make love to her, a man she didn't really know anything about. And she was carrying his child. "Oh, Alex, just love me."</p><p>"I do, my darling, I do." With that, he settled himself between her legs, scooted down the mattress until his face was hovering just where she needed him most. </p><p>She closed her eyes and shivered as Alex's breath warmed the surface of her vulva.</p><p>"Ask me, Selena," he growled in a voice she almost didn't recognize.</p><p>"Oh, Alex, please… please..."</p><p>And then suddenly he was there, gently prying open her labia with his thumbs and licking her clitoris like a cat with milk. He was relentless. He lapped and sucked, nibbled and teased. As her orgasm began to crest, he lifted himself and plunged his engorged penis into her.</p><p>Selena couldn't help but shriek. It had been so long since she and Alex made love that she began to think her pregnant body disgusted him. But he was proving the opposite now.</p><p>"Oh God, Selena," he groaned as he continued to pump in and out of her. "I've forgotten how perfectly we fit together. My beautiful wife."</p><p>He kept his upper body apart from hers so he wouldn't put pressure on her stomach and stayed kneeling between her thighs, his hands holding on to her hips as he thrust into her over and over again. </p><p>Selena's orgasm hit her like a train, starting from the very core of her and spreading to her upper body, then down her legs until her scalp tingled and her toes curled in. Alex followed soon after her, pouring himself into her before dropping to his side of the bed like he'd been shot off a horse.</p><p>"Just give a minute," he said, "to catch my breath."</p><p>Selena nestled into his side and put her head on his shoulder. Alex lifted his arm, so she could rest on his chest, instead, and settled his palm on the curve of her hip. Her rounded belly lay between them.</p><p>They were both silent for a moment, listening to each other breathe. Alex was nuzzling her hair, while the tip of her index finger lazily circled his navel. No one wanted to speak in fear of shattering their peace and contentment.</p><p>Until she couldn't stand any longer and she had to ask. "Alex, who is Rebecca and what baby were you talking about?"</p><p>In her arms, he froze for a few seconds as though in panic, then his fingers bit into the flesh of her hip. "What are <em>you</em> talking about?"</p><p>She raised her head from his chest and peered down at him. "You were having a nightmare, so I woke you up. Don't you remember? You were yelling about someone named Rebecca and saying you didn't know about the baby."</p><p><em>"Oh, God."</em> He sat up and covered his face with his hands. "There are many things I haven't told you about myself, Selena, and I'm sorry for it."</p><p>She pulled herself up next to him and rubbed his back. "Tell me, Alex, please."</p><p>Alex turned to her, lifted her chin toward him, and brushed her lips with his. "Bear with me, my love." He rested his forehead against hers for a moment before leaving the bed to put on his boxer shorts.</p><p>Selena watched silently as he picked up her glass before heading into the bathroom. She heard him turn on the faucet and some splashing noises. When he came back, he placed the glass of water on her nightstand.</p><p>"I just had to rinse my face a little bit," he said, as though embarrassed. He returned to the bed, stacked his pillows against the headboard, and lay down against them. "God, I'm so tired."</p><p>Selena set up her pillows next to his and did the same. She put her nightgown back on while Alex was in the bathroom. "We can talk in the morning?"</p><p>He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. He shook his head. "This has been weighing on my mind for so long. You need to know about it. It will explain my anxieties over your pregnancy."</p><p>Selena was surprised to hear this. Alex rarely showed his vulnerable side. She was starting to think he was infallible. It was only in bed that she saw him capable of expressing true emotion. "What's going on?"</p><p>He sighed heavily, as though the action pained him. "Rebecca was my partner for almost ten years. We were going to get married."</p><p>It hurt to imagine Alex being married to someone else, but Selena told herself to push past it. Alex was thirty-seven years old. Of course he had a life before her. "Tell me everything."</p><p>He laughed bitterly. "I don't know if I'm ready to do that." He raked his hand through his hair. "She was pregnant with my child, but at the time we were fighting a lot and I was out of the country most of the time, trying to save my company by shoring up investors. She didn't trust me enough to tell me about the baby."</p><p>His voice broke at the end. Selena cradled his head against her shoulder and kissed him. "What happened to the baby, darling?"</p><p>"<em>He died.</em> I was afraid to tell you about my past, Selena, because I don't want to lose you. I've done… many things to get to where I am now that are…"</p><p>Selena held him tighter. "Morally questionable?"</p><p>"Yes." He exhaled with a sob. "I was raised in England, but I was born in Russia. We didn't move to London until I was nine. My parents are Russian exiles. My father was a wealthy and powerful man in his country… so he made any enemies."</p><p>Selena turned her head and kissed his hair. He'd always been the one to hold her and assuage her fears, the rock in their relationship. Now, she had to be strong for him. "Was he a gangster?"</p><p>It took a long time for him to answer, but after several seconds, he said, "Yes. His main rival was a man called Vadim Kalyagin. For several years after my father moved us to London, there was a ceasefire between them because my father had retired from the business. He would find out later that my Uncle Boris, his younger brother, hadn't…"</p><p>"Oh, Alex…"</p><p>"By this time, I was running my own hedge fund company and Rebecca was working for Sydney Bloom, a self-styled ethical capitalist. Rebecca and I had met in New York while we were both interning at Goldman."</p><p>Selena smiled in self-deprecation. She never experienced anything like that. She attended a state school, then quickly after graduation, went from one mid-level admin job to the next. She had to live in mediocrity to stay under the radar. She'd had to change her name every few years as well as her address more times than she could count. "So you two had a lot in common, then?"</p><p>He didn't answer that question. "My Uncle Boris had escalated his feud with Vadim Kalyagin to the point that he landed himself in financial trouble and needed my help. I tried very hard to keep my nose clean and stay out of the family business, but I was inadvertently dragged in when my Uncle Boris was <em>murdered</em>."</p><p>"Alex, I'm so sorry. Were you two close?"</p><p>"We had our differences, but he was a lot of fun. He'd pick me up from school during the weekends and take me fishing. There was a time I was embarrassed of him because he'd come to school wearing a yarmulke, so the lads started calling me a 'Yid'."</p><p>Selena stroked his arm. She knew all about getting called racist names, too. "You were bullied?"</p><p>"A bit." He shrugged. "But I had a growth spurt one summer and turned out to be good at rugby. I wasn't pushed around anymore after that."</p><p>"What happened after your uncle was killed?"</p><p>"An Israeli billionaire that my Uncle introduced me to, Semiyon Kleiman, told me Vadim Kalyagin had him killed. He would help me exact my revenge on Kalyagin if I helped him manage his money."</p><p>"What did that entail?"</p><p>Alex lifted his head from her shoulder and wrapped his fingers around her upper arms, shifting her so that they were face to face. "Skirting around some finance laws. Moving his money around into Moving his money around to different funds and offshore accounts so that large transactions wouldn't be detected." He stared into Selena's eyes. "Money laundering. Do you understand?"</p><p>Selena nodded. Alex did a lot of work in Russia and South America. He also traveled with a bodyguard who carried heavy artillery. All of his cars were custom-made to be bulletproof. She'd always suspected that not everything was on the up and up. He was either a spy or as her sister Lauren believed, "a drug lord." Selena was fine with Alex being a crook. Her father was a crook. Her brothers were crooks. But she always thought that he only committed white collar crimes.</p><p>Hell, her father was a career criminal and Alex didn't know that. What could he possibly have in his closet that was worse than hers?</p><p>"Where was the dirty money coming from?"</p><p>Alex dropped his gaze to their joined hands. "Drugs and human trafficking. Cocaine and heroin. Some arms dealing. He also had some illegal casinos. He'd become a respectable politician in Israel and needed clean money.</p><p>"I began to advise him not just on financial matters, but strategies on how to undercut his rivals or sink them entirely. I helped him execute a plan that derailed a business deal of Kalyagin, which cost him several million dollars and bad faith.</p><p>"That was when I truly caught Kalyagin's attention. I tried to reason with him and he agreed to a ceasefire, but things had already been set in motion and neither of us could stop it. Rebecca was targeted because of me. An assassin was sent after her." He covered his face again and cried as though he were right there, witnessing the whole thing happening again. "Joseph got there in time and stopped the assassin before she could kill Rebecca, but she'd already shot her in the stomach, so Rebecca lost our baby…"</p><p>Selena wrapped her arms and legs around him and drew his head back down to her shoulder. "God, Alex, that's terrible. I'm so sorry."</p><p>He lifted his head to look at her and his eyes bared his raw agony. "Vadim once told me that the only way I could protect my family is to be the one in power and for that to happen, I would have to cut off all ties with them, so that my enemies will never target them. And that's exactly what I did."</p><p>Having once been a target of her father's arch enemy, she empathized with him more than he could ever know. "You did it for their protection, Alex."</p><p>He cupped her face between his hands. "Selena, I never anticipated meeting you or falling in love with you. And I never expected you'd get pregnant. Before you came along, I only had myself to worry about. Now that I have you and the baby…"</p><p>Selena pulled back from him just enough so she could meet his gaze. "Alex, I can take care of myself more than you can possibly imagine."</p><p>
  <em>"What do you me--?"</em>
</p><p>Selena heard the scratching behind the bedroom door before it burst open, revealing two large men dressed in black from head to toe and wearing ski masks. One of them held a bound and gagged Ingrid around the neck and a gun pointed at her temple. </p><p>When Selena heard the scratching noise, her body went on full alert. She rolled off of Alex, reached into her nightstand drawer and pulled out her Hi-Power 9mm Browning in one smooth move despite the bulk of her stomach. She managed to squeeze off two rounds before the men could even speak, nailing them both on the forehead. They dropped to the ground. So did Ingrid, but from fainting. She was otherwise unharmed.</p><p>Alex stared at Selena in shock. "What the hell was that? You were Edwin Baxter's admin assistant. You make me kill cockroaches for you!"</p><p>Selena put the gun on safety and returned it to the nightstand. "While you and Joseph were gone, Lyudmilla and I noticed a cable company truck parked half a block from here about a week and a half ago during our morning walk. Well, I thought that was odd because nobody in this neighborhood has cable. Everyone has a satellite dish. The next day, the truck was back. I called the company and they told me they don't service our area.</p><p>"So then I called my cousin Ricky in Northridge and told him to bring me my old gun."</p><p>"Your <em>old</em> gun?" Alex raised his eyebrows. "Why didn't you call me?" </p><p>Selena looked down at her hands. "You gave me the impression that you don't like to be disturbed while you are away on a trip."</p><p>Alex put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a light shake. "Selena, is that why I never hear from you? I would welcome your call any time, especially if you think you're in trouble."</p><p>"Uh… we should probably have this discussion later. We've got two dead bodies to take care of right now. You wouldn't happen to have rocket fuel, would you?"</p><p>Alex was completely befuddled, both horrified and awed. "I have access to jet fuel, but… Selena, we can't just fly the bodies out of here. Besides, the jet is in LAX!"</p><p>Selena crinkled her nose. "Who said anything about flying them anywhere? You'd get blood all over your nice plane. Jet fuel wouldn't work anyway. It doesn't contain perchloric acid." She frowned and waved her hand dismissively. "No worries, my cousin Bing used to work for Space X and stole a bunch of shit before he got fired. I bet he has rocket fuel. We'd probably have to give him a lot of money, then I might have to kill him later if he gets greedy. He's from my mother's side of the family and they're all a bunch of no-good moochers. He lives in San Dimas."</p><p>Alex opened his mouth, then closed it again. After a deep breath, he tried again. "You mean to dissolve the bodies in rocket fuel?"</p><p>Selena nodded. "Yeah, the perchloric acid will make quick work of them. It should only take about ten hours. What you see in the movies about flesh dissolving from bones within seconds? Not true."</p><p>Alex could only stare at her in disbelief. </p><p>Selena's heart sank. He thought he'd lose her if he told her the truth about what he actually did for a living, so to make him feel better, she showed him her truth. Was she the one who's going to lose Alex, after all?</p><p>"Who are you?" he asked after several moments. </p><p>"Have you ever heard of a man called Lingshan Lee?"</p><p>Alex started to shake his head. "Wait, yes. Some of my clients have been trying to branch out to the Southeast Asian market for a while, but have yet to gain ground."</p><p>Selena couldn't help the smirk that crawled across her lips. <em>Amateurs</em>. "And they never will. Not while the Syndicate is around."</p><p>"The Syndicate?" Alex repeated. "The supposed network of powerful Chinese businessmen from old families who actually control the major gangs in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan? I thought that was a myth."</p><p>"Even 14K answers to the Syndicate," Selena informed her husband. "And you know 14K controls all the drug flow, prostitution, and arms dealing throughout Asia and North American territories. They toppled the Yakuza long ago." She picked up his hand. "I know the cartels have been having a hard time getting their shipment past the border these days because the DEA is always on their asses."</p><p>Alex nodded. "Yes…"</p><p>"The Syndicate has a few politicians and friends at the Justice Department deep in their pockets. 14K also has a network of snitches everywhere and they pay them very well."</p><p>Alex grabbed her forearms. "Selena, how can you possibly know all of this?"</p><p>She smiled wryly at him. "Because my father is Lingshan Lee, a board member of the Syndicate."</p><p><em>"You're Chinese?</em> You told me you were a Filipina!"</p><p>"Oh, Alex." She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "From now on, I will take care of you, okay? You don't have to worry about me the way you do. I've got your six. Joseph and I will always be here for you."</p><p>"Does Joseph know about you?"</p><p>Selena laughed softly. "No. But he's taken a bullet for you twice. No one can be more loyal to you, other than me. I love you, Alex, don't you know that? All of you, even the morally bankrupt parts."</p><p>His hands slid from her shoulders back to her face and he kissed her briefly on the lips. "I love you, too, Selena. So much. I just wanted to make the world safe for you."</p><p>Selena sighed. "And that's what I want for you, Alex, and for our baby." He was still looking a little down, so she thought she'd make a joke. "Won't you sleep better at night now, knowing you have a sharp shooter for a wife?"</p><p>Alex chuckled and held her close. "And she knows how to dissolve bodies, too." He guided them back onto the mattress until they were both lying down on their sides, still staring at each other. "We should probably take care of the bodies before their blood permanently stains the carpet. Plus Ingrid is bound to freak out and faint again after she wakes up and finds herself lying next to dead thugs."</p><p>Selena grinned. "I'll call my cousin Bing."</p><p>Alex kissed her forehead. "And I'll call Joseph."</p><p>"Poor Lyudmilla."</p><p><em>"Poor Lyudmilla?</em> Do you have any idea how much I pay her husband?"</p><p>She touched his face. "You don't have to be afraid anymore, Alex. I can be strong enough for the both of us. You can lean on me. The only thing I'm afraid of in this world is losing you."</p><p>He picked up her other hand and brought it to his cheek. "I've done some unforgivable things in the past, Selena. I killed Vadim Kalyagin myself. I shot him in the back of the head."</p><p>Selena raised her eyebrows.  "Alex, I just killed two men to save your life."</p><p>"Have you ever killed before tonight?"</p><p>She had to give it to him straight. She couldn't lie to him anymore after tonight "Yes. Alex, in our world, it's kill or be killed. And some people just need killin.'" </p>
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